Reed-Sternberg cells and "bystander" lymphocytes in lymph nodes affected by Hodgkin's disease are infected with different strains of Epstein-Barr virus.

In most cases of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated Hodgkin's disease (HD), EBV-positive Reed-Sternberg (RS) cells and rare EBV-positive reservoir lymphocytes coexist in lymph nodes. Here we show that, in two cases of EBV-associated HD, strains infecting RS cells and reservoir lymphocytes of the same patient have different BNLF-1 genes. This suggests that RS cells and reservoir lymphocytes of the same patient are infected by different EBV strains.